always and forever
by Ouatu Yuuki
Summary: shikamaru tells ino he loves her before he leaves for his mission but ino never gets the chance to reveal her feelings toward him. what happens to there lives when ino leaves for a mission that will take a year to complete? Disclaimer: I don’t own NARUTO.


Can Shikamaru's day get anymore troublesome? No is the answer. Although the wedding preparations were finished the bride blushing there was one thing or should i say one person that was holding him back. It all started that faithfull day.

"SHIKA-KUN!" Ino screamed as she ran towards her old Conrade. Shikamaru turned around and muttered "Troublesome Woman" *WAPOW!* "I heard that Shika-kun." "Gomen Gomen." Shikamaru replied rubbing the forming bump on his head. "Were you seriously going to leave for your mission without saying goodbye?" Ino said suddenly changing her mood. Shikamaru noticing lifted her head up kissed her forehead and said "Goodbye Ino. I love you always and forever." Ino just stood there like an idiot staring at him. Shikamaru smiled and left the dumbstruck ino behind with only his words still lingering in her mind. "I love you too." ino managed to say, but it was too late shikamaru had already disappeared into the forest. Not knowing when he'd come home she just thought of the way she'd tell him herself.

Three days later

'Hn he's still not home.' Ino thought to herself as she hugged the teddy bear shikamaru himself gave to her many years before."hn" was all she said before drifting into sleep.

flashback/dream

"Shika-kun!" 6 year old Ino screamed as she saw the familiar spikey ponytail. Shikamaru turned around to meet face to face with ino making his cheeks turn a bit pink. "Happy Birthday Shika-kun!" Ino said pushing her box forward for shikamaru to take. He mimicked her very actions and said "Happy Birthday to you too Ino." It was ino's turn to blush. Each toddler opened one anothers presents. Shikamaru smirked as he saw what was given to him. "Ino-" "OH SHIKA-KUN I LOVE IT! THANK YOU!" Ino yelled as she hugged Shikamaru. "heh Thank you too."

end of dream/flashback

The excessive knocking on her door woke her up and scared her making her roll of her bed. "OW! Who is it?" Ino called out as she rubbed her head. "Ino-chan Izumo-kun came by awhile ago saying that Tsunade-sama would like a word with you." "When?" "In 15 minutes." "Thanks Oka-san." Ino said pulling her normal clothes off and replacing them with her ninja ones and jumping out her window.

an hour or so in the hokages office.

"This mission is well in your expertice and i'm not sure when you'd come back." Tsunade said to Ino. Ino then replied "anything to protect my village so when do i leave?" "Tonight" Tsunade replied. Ino then nodded and left.'Doesn't know when I'd be back' ino thought to herself. 'i guess i should leave a letter so shika-kun would wait for me if he came back before me' Ino said as she packed her things and wrote the letter. She'd left her room and went running to the gates to start her mission that night forgetting to give the letter to Sikamaru's mother.

one year and 2 months later

"I'm finally home!" Ino said stretching her arms out and entering her village. She walked towards the hokage tower to report her mission, but was a bit to late because Tsunade was out for official Hokage and Kazekage business. Ino then turned on her heels and started to walk down the hall hands behind her head letting her mind take over. It wasn't till she bumped into someone that she knocked out of her dream like state. Papers flew everywhere. She bent down automatically picking up the papers saying "Gomen" to whom ever she'd bumped into. It was only then she heard his voice again. "Ino." Ino looked up to face a familiar lazy pineapple headed ninja she'd fallen for. "OH SHIK-K-" she stopped mid sentence noticing a ring placed on his left fourth finger to be exact. "Shika-kun?" her mood suddenly changing. Shikamaru noticing said "Oh well my fian-" then he stopped noticing the troublesome woman had disappeared.

Somewhere on the streets of konoha

'This can't be happening. It can't he'd told me he loved me.' ino thought as she ran to where ever her feet took her. She was holding back tears as much as possible till she reached the place her feet took her. It was shikamaru's favorite cloud gazing spot. How ironic you might say but it was her favorite place too because she knew he'd be there to comfort her. Ino put her back against the tree and slid down. She pulled her knee's up to her face and let go of the tear's she'd been holding. This was the first time she'd cried ever. Remembering how he was about to say 'my fiance wanted him to have one' and then it happened. The words he'd said to her on that faithful day one year ago precisely on this day 'I love you always and forever.' Those words played over and over again till she came to a verdict. "He lied." she thought aloud noticing the familiar presence. He'd been standing there for more than a minute. He finally spoke up "Ino." Ino shoot her head up her first intentions was to be angry, but she couldn't. His chocolate brown eyes melting in worry for her she'd guessed. She then turn her head and asked "What do you want Nara." Shikamaru surprised at her sudden change of nicknames "Since when do you call me by my last name Ino?" he questioned. Ino still not looking into his eyes said "Ever Since you'd lied to me." Shikamaru became confused at the word she'd said and spoke up "I-" ino then interrupted and said "Never mind that Nara past is past its time for the future. Seeing you've moved on i'm no used for you anymore. Just promise one thing. Don't break her heart. Goodbye." Ino left the scene leaving Shikamaru stand there in awe.

two weeks later

"Ino sweetheart Temari came by today asking if you'd be her maid of honor." Ino flinched as her mother told her this. Temari had been asking for days now. Ino gave up and said. "Fine Whatever i'll be her maid of honor." "Thank you." Ino heard as she recognized temari's voice behind her door and she replied. "Uh huh what ever leave me alone already." The wedding was in two days and Ino still had her feelings for Shikamaru. 'Hn i can i really go through with this' ino thought as she drifted to sleep with the teddy bear Shikamaru had given her.

two days later (the wedding)

"HURRY UP INO YOU'LL BE LATE!" Ino's mother screamed. "HAI OKA-SAN I'M JUST PUTTING FINISHING TOUCHES ON THEIR WEDDING PRESENT!" ino shouted back. She placed the note on the gift and ran down stairs.

at the chapel

The day had started with a drizzle, but Shikamaru wasn't shaking because of the cold rain. The music had started and the flower girl walked down the aisle. Then it was the maid-of-honor's turn to walk down. Ino walked down the aisle and stood in her place at the altar and gave a reassuring smile to shikamaru. He just smiled back and started to shake again thinking how temari had been an idiot for asking ino to be maid-of-honor. He'd loved Ino for some time and only moved on to temari because he'd thought ino had not felt the same way. It was the brides turn the music slowed to match her stroll down the aisle. Temari with her head up smiling at Shikamaru also looked at ino with a smile of thanks. As the preist started the wedding ino got lost in her mind. Shikamaru's voice in her head saying over and over in her mind 'I love you always and forever.' She couldn't take it she dropped the bouquet of flowers she'd been holding and ran out of the chapel as fast as she could tears rolling down her face.

"Ino!" Shikamaru cried out as she made her way out of the chapel. Tsunade stood and said "I'll take care of this go on with the wedding. As tsunade left Shikamaru went back to his spot at the altar and the Priest started, but then he noticed why ino had run out. How could he be so naïve she loved him and he loved her. Shikamaru spoke up and said "The wedding is off." Now running out of the chapel himself.

On top of the hokage mountain

"(Snif)(hic) I should have known i wasn't strong enough to go through that." Ino thought aloud but then she heard another voice. "And i thought you'd been one of the strongest kunoichi's not even once crying not even when someone died." Tsunade stated as she sat next to the crying ino. "Hn i guess your wrong about that huh." Ino said finally pulling her head out from between her knee's. Ino rested her chin on her knee's and continued. "Gomen for being s-" "A strong kunoichi doesn't shed a tear on her missions but when its necessary it is wrong to hold it in. It only causes the kunoichi to hurt more." Tsunade stated gaining ino attention. "You cried cause you love him. You couldn't do a thing because you knew you'd only hurt him." Ino sat up and said "Hai your right Tsunade-sama i love him but he seems to love her dearly and because i love him I'm willing to let him go." "Your all to kind ino." "Actually it may seem that way but im being cruel to my heart." Tsunade and Ino just sat there in silence while the rain dropped down harder. Then Ino asked "Tsunade-sama you wouldn't have perhaps have a spy mission ready for me?" Tsunade stared at the young yamanaka and said "Hai but this time it'll be a much harder task than the last." Ino accepted the consequences and was on her way.

Reception room

Shikamaru had come back from his serch for Ino. He was drenched head to toe. He sat down on the closet chair and just sat there with his hands forming the way it would when he'd needed a plan. Worrying himself to much temari handed him a box. He looked up to meet her eyes and she said "Its from Ino." Shikamaru took the box and said "Thank you." He opened the box and to his suprize was the teddy bear. He pulled it out and then a letter fell out. He picked it up reading his name on the front of the envelope. The letter only had six small words and her name, but thats all it took for him to go after her once more this time running into the forest. Naruto picked up the letter and read what was on the letter:

I love you always and forever,

Ino

somewhere on the outskirts of konoha

It wasn't long before he'd caught up to her. "INO!" Ino stopped jumping and turned and faced him. "Shika-kun why are you here how did-" "So your calling me Shika again?" he smirked. She smiled and said "There's no reason to mad anymore you love her not me and-" Ino suddenly was interrupted by shikamaru's lips. LIPS?! It took ino 5 seconds to fully understand what was going on till she had responded only to suddenly push him away. "Wait didn't i tell you to not break her heart?" Shikamaru confused replied "Well what happened today made that promise otherwise she thanked me actually i was only marrying her to combine our villages together, but little did they know she and Kiba had a relationship." Ino surprised bent her head forward leaning her Head against shikamaru's chest. "I love you." She mumbled. He'd heard her and said "I love you too."


End file.
